Toheeb Gbolabo O. Jimoh (born 15 April 1997) is an English actor.[1] He earned a Primetime Emmy Award nomination for his performance as Sam Obisanya in the Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso (2020–2023). He is also known for his roles in the BBC One biographical film Anthony (2020) and the Amazon Prime series The Power (2023).[2][3][1]
Toheeb Jimoh | |
|---|---|
 Jimoh in 2023 | |
| Born | 15 April 1997 Brixton, London, England |
| Alma mater | Guildhall School of Music and Drama |
| Occupation | Actor |
| Years active | 2015–present |
| Notable work | Ted Lasso The Power |
Early life
editJimoh was born on 15 April 1997[4] in Brixton,[5] South London[6] to parents of Nigerian descent.[7] He moved to Nigeria as a toddler and returned to London when he was seven.[7] He attended The Norwood School[8] before going on to train at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, graduating in 2018.[9]
Career
editJimoh was a relative newcomer to acting when he was cast to play Anthony Walker, the victim of a 2005 racist attack, in BBC One's Anthony,[10] which imagines Walker's life if he had not been killed.[11][12] His portrayal was called "utterly magnetic".[13] He then portrayed Marcus in the Amazon series The Feed.[14]
Jimoh was in a stage production of A Midsummer Night's Dream at the Sheffield Crucible[13] and in 2020, was one of six performers in the Almeida Theatre's Christmas Play Nine Lessons and Carols, the theatre's first production post London's COVID-19 lockdown.[15]
When Jimoh auditioned for Ted Lasso, the character of Sam Obisanya was written as Ghanaian, but his background was changed to Nigerian to match Jimoh's own.[16][17] His performance has received praise, with his character called the "heartbeat" of the show.[1]
Jimoh portrays another Nigerian character, journalist Tunde, in the Amazon thriller series The Power, based on Naomi Alderman's novel of the same name.[18] He also has a small part in the Wes Anderson film The French Dispatch.[12]
Jimoh played Romeo in a summer 2023 production of Romeo and Juliet at the Almeida Theatre in London.[19]
In 2024, Jimoh played Hal in Player Kings, an adaption of Shakespeare's Henry IV part 1 and 2 by Robert Icke which also co-stars Ian McKellen and Richard Coyle.
Filmography
editFilm
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | The French Dispatch | Cadet 1 |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | London Kills | Leshae Hobbs | Episode: "The Dark" |
| The Feed | Marcus | Recurring role, 7 episodes | |
| 2020 | Anthony | Anthony Walker | BBC TV movie |
| 2020–2023 | Ted Lasso | Sam Obisanya | Recurring (S1 & 2), Main (S3) |
| 2023 | The Power | Tunde Ojo | Main role |
Theatre
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Romeo and Juliet | Romeo | Almeida Theatre, West End |
| 2024 | Player Kings | Hal | Manchester Opera House, Manchester. |
Awards and nominations
edit| Year | Association | Category | Project | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2021
|
Critics' Choice Television Awards | Breakthrough Award | Ted Lasso | Won | [20] |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Nominated | [21] | ||
2022
|
Primetime Emmy Awards | Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series | Nominated | [22] | |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Won | [23] | ||
2023
|
Black Reel Awards | Outstanding Supporting Performance in a Comedy Series | Pending | [24] | |
| Hollywood Music in Media Awards | Song – Onscreen Performance (TV Show/Limited Series) | "So Long, Farewell" (from Ted Lasso) | Nominated | [25] | |
| Screen Actors Guild Awards | Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Comedy Series | Ted Lasso | Nominated | [26] |
References
edit- ^ a b c Murray, Cori (8 June 2021). "Meet Toheeb Jimoh, The Heartbeat of 'Ted Lasso'". Essence. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ Lawler, Kelly. "Review: Believe in the power of Jason Sudeikis and 'Ted Lasso' Season 2". USA TODAY. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
- ^ Orr, Christopher (6 August 2021). "'Ted Lasso' Season 2 Episode 3 Recap: Youth in Revolt". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
- ^ Jimoh, Toheeb [@Toheeb_Jimoh] (15 April 2021). "https://t.co/W8KLkRtfRC" (Tweet). Retrieved 5 November 2021 – via Twitter.
- ^ Alemoru, Kemi (26 April 2022). "Toheeb Jimoh". Port Magazine. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
- ^ Ordona, Michael (3 August 2022), How Toheeb Jimoh of 'Ted Lasso' found his character's home--and his own, Los Angeles Times
{{citation}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) - ^ a b Breznican, Anthony (6 August 2021). "Ted Lasso: A Willingness to Lose Everything Provides a Needed Win". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 9 August 2021.
- ^ "Starring Toheeb!". The Norwood School.
- ^ "Toheeb Jimoh". Guildhall School. Archived from the original on 19 March 2022. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ Youngs, Ian (23 July 2020). "Anthony Walker: How a life lost in racist killing has been imagined for TV". BBC. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ "Anthony Walker: TV drama imagines future life of victim of racist murder". BBC. 15 June 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ a b Shury-Smith, Hannah (9 December 2020). "TBB Talks To ... actor Toheeb Jimoh About Almeida Theatre Production 'Nine Lessons and Carols'". The British Black List. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ a b Onanuga, Tola (27 July 2020). "Toheeb Jimoh: "My job was to give Anthony the best life possible"". The Face. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ Stevenson, Rick (28 August 2021). "Who Plays Sam In Ted Lasso? Where You Know The Actor From". Screen Rant. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ Dickson, Andrew (8 December 2020). "'Holding their nerve': Almeida reopens with play devised during lockdown". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ Meredith, Karenna (28 August 2021). "Toheeb Jimoh Says Ted Lasso's Most Unexpected Romance Has Been in the Works Since Season 1". Pop Sugar. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ Aguilar, Carlos (14 June 2021). "'Ted Lasso' Casting Process Changed the International Team's Composition". Indie Wire. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ "The Power - John Leguizamo, Toheeb Jimoh, Ria Zmitrowicz And 4 Others Join Amazon Thriller". spoilertv.com. 14 January 2020. Retrieved 10 September 2021.
- ^ Bamigboye, Baz (16 March 2023). "Breaking Baz: 'Ted Lasso' Star To Lead Hot London Production Of 'Romeo And Juliet' Alongside 'Red Rose' Actress Isis Hainsworth". Deadline. Retrieved 17 May 2023.
- ^ "Critics Choice Awards Celebration of Black Cinema & Television to Honor Will Smith, Ruth Negga and More on December 6th | Festivals & Awards | Roger Ebert". 3 December 2021.
- ^ Moreau, Jordan; Oganesyan, Natalie (4 February 2021). "2021 SAG Awards: The Complete Nominations List". Variety. Retrieved 14 March 2021.
- ^ Andreeva, Nellie; Hipes, Patrick (12 July 2022). "Emmy Nominations: The Complete List". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on 12 July 2022. Retrieved 12 July 2022.
- ^ Lewis, Hilary; Coates, Tyler (12 January 2022). "SAG Awards: 'House of Gucci,' 'The Power of the Dog' Lead Film Nominations". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 12 January 2022.
- ^ Complex, Valerie (15 June 2023). "Black Reel 7th Annual Television Awards featuring Gender Neutral Categories Announces Nominations; 'The Best Man: Final Chapters' leads with 18 noms". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved 3 July 2023.
- ^ "Nominations unveiled for Hollywood Music in Media Awards 2023". Shoot Online. 2 November 2023. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
- ^ "Nominations Announced for the 30th Annual Screen Actors Guild Awards®" (Press release). Screen Actors Guild. 10 January 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2024.
External links
edit- Toheeb Jimoh at IMDb